China Patent Agent Qualification Test in 2007 was held on November 3 in Beijing, , Guangzhou as well as other 8 cities. This was the ninth time for the country to host such a test. Right now, there are 8,825 people pass the test, and 4,798 of them are serving as full-time agents.

 

According to Mr. Yin Xintian, the spokesman of SIPO, the office had accepted more than 570,000 patent applications last year, while over 70 percent of them were submitted by the agents. "This means the patent agents are playing an important role in patent system implementation and operation," said the spokesman.

 

The test this year attracted more than 8,000 people, including 36 from Hong Kong and Macao. Also according to Mr. Yin, the candidates should have university education in science or technology, relevant law knowledge and two more years of relevant working experience before applying for the test. "Those, passing the test and being granted the qualification, can work with patent disputes and patent cases, and provide service to their clients," he added.

 

People from Hong Kong and Macao began to attend this test in 2004, and right now there are eight people wining the qualification. They can serve both in Chinese mainland and Hong Kong region as patent agents.

 

Patent agents are required with strong professional background, and it is also an international routine to have strict qualification to them. Many countries have similar Qualification test and regard it as a precondition to be a patent agent.

 

China began to hold the test in 1992, and conducted test every two years. Since 2006, the test would be held every year, and the test subjects were also readjusted in line with practical demand. Now the candidates have to take three subjects in the test: patent law,  relevant law knowledge and patent agent practice.

2007-11-06

2007-11-06